10 Blogs That Will Inspire Your Content Marketing in 2014

One of the most exciting, yet challenging, things about the world of content marketing is the pace at which it is changing and evolving. You never really know what will happen next.  

The best you can do is stay up-to-date, collect opinions and predictions, review great examples, and arrive at your own conclusion about what’s best for your company’s future content marketing plans.

Here are some publications and blogs to follow in 2014 to stay ahead of the content curve:

1. Content Marketing Institute

Content Marketing Institute (CMI) is a great publication that discusses trends in content marketing and strategy. The expert commentary and advice it provides from leaders in the industry always makes for an enlightening read.

2. Convince and Convert 

Convince and Convert is a blog that covers the intersection of social media and content marketing. President Jay Baer (someone that has also worked with Influence & Co.) is a must-follow in the community, but he also publishes guest posts from interesting thought leaders.

3. HubSpot

HubSpot is a great example of a company that truly understands its various target audiences and uses content to drive its business. Its blog, Inbound Hub, provides in-depth information for marketing and sales, and as a SaaS company, it provides its clients and partners with a unique opportunity to comment on industry-related issues.

4. OkCupid

While a unique place to go for content marketing insights, OkCupid’s OkTrends blog is a great example of how a brand can use data to drive its communication strategy. The site produces edgy and insightful articles on dating and relationships based on information harvested from its users.

5. Ragan Communications

Ragan covers a broad range of topics, including PR, content marketing, speechwriting, networking, and general communication strategies.

6. Zapier

Zapier’s blog is full of tips on how to be more productive, automate boring processes, and run a business more effectively — things every content marketer should be interested in. Check out the co-founder’s article on how it successfully (and unsuccessfully) used content in 2013. (Zapier is a company that has worked with Influence & Co. in the past). 

7. Buffer

Buffer is another example of a company that consistently produces and shares valuable data-driven articles to help its audience. 

8. Moz 

Similar to HubSpot, Moz’s blog drives the company’s business. It believes in providing in-depth, informational resources and articles to help content marketers and search specialists do their jobs better. Be sure to check out the site’s Whiteboard Friday series. 

9. Copyblogger 

For more than eight years, Copyblogger has been one of the top outlets to learn about content marketing from. In addition to great articles, Copyblogger produces whitepapers, e-books, and webinars, and it hosts forums where content-focused professionals can learn and engage with one another.

10. Evernote

Evernote is a tool that helps you access notes and images on any device, and its blog discusses how you can tag, track, use, and find information you save through its tool. It’s a great example of how to use education to inspire users to be more active with a company’s product or app.  

Do you know of any other publications or blogs that should be included in this list? Let us know in the comments.

Post by Joshua Johnson.